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Creating a Wild Backyard - Mowing Cycles

Mowing is often thought of as a burdensome, Boring chore. Many gardeners incorporate plantings such as wildflower meadows in order to decrease the amount of mowing they have to do one weekends. But mowing a grassy area in cycles can be a useful tool for the Wild Acre gardener who wants to easily create a diverse habitat for wildlife, and let nature do most of the work - the mowing needs to be done no more than once a year!

What are Mowing Cycles?
Mowing cycles are simply mowing a different block of meadow or grassland each year to create habitat that contains a wider variety of plants of different ages than would normally exist if you did nothing and let natural succession take its course. Natural succession is the process by which plant communities gradually change over time, barring any type of disturbance. If you plowed a field and left it alone, grasses, flowers, and small shrubs would eventually appear. In a couple of years trees and shrubs would "invade" the grassland and eventually the grassland would become a forest. Mowing prevents trees and shrubs from growing and maintains the grassland habitat.

Why are Grasslands Important?
Grassland habitats such as those found in power line rights-of-way and fallow fields are decreasing at an alarming rate throughout Maryland and the United States. Consequently, many wildlife species that depend on grasslands to live, feed, nest and raise young have declined also. Farms that once contained rotated crops, pastures and fallow fields now contain fields that continuously produce crops. Urbanization and other developmental pressures have also contributed to the loss of grassland habitat.

Where Can I Use Mowing Cycles?
Mowing cycles are best used on grasslands of an acre or more. They could be grassed strips bordering cropland, forests, ponds and other wetlands, roadsides or entire fields. These grassy areas can serve as buffers that filter sediment and nutrients out before they enter surface and groundwater systems. Suburban or urban backyards are usually not appropriate areas for this type of management technique.

How Do I Begin Mowing Cycles?
Mowing done on a three year rotation works best in Maryland to deter woody trees and shrubs from rowing in grasslands. Start with a drawing or aerial photo of your property and mark the grassland areas. Divide the grassland area into thirds. Mow one-third the first year, one-third the second year, and the last third the third year. The fourth year, begin the cycle over again with the first third. Your thirds can be blocks or strips, whichever fits easiest in your landscape and can be mown to about 6 inches in height. It is important that you never mow all the grassed areas in any given year because the wildlife that are using the grassland for food, nesting, and protection would suddenly lose all their habitat and be forced to search for a new home.

You may wish to experiment with the period of time between mowing. Some properties may return to shrubs quicker than others and may be prone to invasion by one or two dominant shrub species, such as autumn olive, multi-floral rose, or vine honeysuckle. If your property has a predominance of these plants, you may wish to mow more frequently, as they can be difficult to control once well established.

Time Your Mowing
Any mowing on these areas should be done after August 1 and before April 1 to give wildlife species, like rabbits and quail, that are nesting in the grassland time to raise their young. White-tailed deer also use grassland as "fawning areas" and does will often leave their fawns for short periods of time while they are feeding (the fawns have not been abandoned). Fawns "freeze" when danger threatens them and many a hapless mower never even sees the fawn until it is too late.

Allowing land to lie "fallow" or unmanaged for any period of time may encourage certain noxious plants to grow. Woody plants like multi-floral rose or autumn olives can quickly take over any unmanaged area and may be very expensive to control once established. Thistle and Johnson grass are examples of herbaceous weeds, which can take over these areas. Care should be given to watch for these plants. A general rule of thumb would be to check for increasing dominance of any single plant type over a period of time in your fallow areas. When you see this happening, check with your local nurseryman or the Cooperative Extension Service to determine what the plant is and how you can control it.

Caution:  In many urban and suburban jurisdictions, the county and/or local government regulates lawn length and "weeds". Check with your local zoning staff about ordinances, which may affect your backyard wildlife plans. You should adhere to all such ordinances and request exceptions in the manner recommended by the governing jurisdiction. As always, inform and educate your neighbors about your Wild Acre.

For Additional Information, Contact:
 
 Wild Acres Program
 Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service
 Attn:  Marilyn Mause
 Gwynnbrook WMA
 3740 Gwynnbrook Ave
 Owings Mills MD 21117
 410-356-0941
 E-Mail: customerservice@dnr.state.md.us